Dash lights died.

[JimX]

This probably isn't a common problem with an easy fix, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

The other day my dash illumination lights died. It wasn't the dash itself because everything except the lights that come on with the headlights died.

Also dying with it are the ignition key illuminator thing, the beeper which tells you the lights are on or you left the key in the ignition, and the turbo timer. Now when you switch the key to ACC it just goes off rather than into turbo timer mode.

It's not a fuse, because I checked them all. I can't read the Japanese on the fuse cover so I've no idea which one it is - hence checked all of them.

I found the wire that goes through the dash dimmer, and when the headlights are on it goes up to 0.3V instead of 12V, so I think it's just a wiring fault or possibly a loose or dead relay.

Does anyone know where the aforementioned items get their juice from? The problem would be somewhere behind that. Even if someone could tell me what colour wire it might be I could go hunting myself.

[AutoTrust]

there is a good chance that the wiring from compliance where they fit the dimmer (behind the cluster) has come loose, seen it before - the old twist and tape method. Seems strange that the TT is playing up, sounds like it's lost a power source too. Park light circuit is normally red with a blue trace, good luck

[JimX]

Some more elaboration needed

I pulled the dimmer out and tested it, it's all ok. I also plugged the wires back in directly rather than running them through the dimmer, just to eliminate it as a possibility anyway. That bit of wire is after the other bits which don't work - ie, if it was the dimmer, then the beeper, ignition light, etc would all still work. Obviously the dimmer is not going to make it beep less etc. The bit which measures 0.3V is where the dimmer goes.

The turbo timer I'm guessing doesn't work because it needs a signal from the ignition switch that is somehow related to the now dead light and beeper. I'm pretty sure that once I fix this the turbo timer will start working normally again.

[JimX]

I decided to not pissfart around with it any longer and ask my mechanic if he knew of any good auto electricians familiar with Skylines. He said he did, and showed me his Cordia which had a brand new full custom wiring setup recently done by this guy. It looked better than factory, it had that black serpentine stuff covering all the wires in the engine bay and looked like showroom material. It took him a couple of days and only cost $400.

So I gave him a call to see if he could help, and he said it shouldn't be a problem. He does work onsite, and it's $20 call-out and $50 an hour. I don't imagine it'll take long for him to sort out, he's done a lot of Skylines in the past. He's booked out until next week but after he visits I'll update again and say how it went.

My mate said that one of his specialities is re-wiring GTS-t's to take RB26's

[red900ss]

My guess would be the earth to the dash pcb is loose.

[JimX]

Possibly, but I've had a good look around there and wriggled lots of wiring to no effect. If the guy can come out and fix a simple loose wire that may do it again in the future, I think it'll be well worth the $70 (oh yeah, this guy guarantees his work and will come out and fix it again for free if it plays up).

Oh yeah, something else that happened yesterday, not sure if it's related. My passenger door central locking stopped working. I hope my whole wiring system isn't on its way out

[sewid]

I saw this movie where a small fire started in the electrical systems of a 747 and slowly spread taking out one eletrical system after another until the plane crashed.

Probably not related though

[JimX]

I'll remember to not take my car above 1 metre off the ground until I get this sorted

[OBaYBe]

Its an awesome feeling knowing someone that knows that they are doing with your car.

Instead of some schmuck working on it and who knows wtf his done to it.

[JimX]

It's all now working, thanks to the auto electrician guy that came around. There was a bodgy (non working) 12V feed into the ignition cluster which he found and isolated, but there was no way to trace it back to the source. So he rigged up a new set of wires from the fuse panel, and put a new inline fuse in that. Soldered up what needed to be soldered and put terminals in where needed, and it's now all good.

It can't really happen again because the wire is now very short and right at the fuse panel. About the only thing that can happen is the fuse will blow. But if anything in that area should happen again I should be able to figure it out myself.

[T0nyGTSt]

Could you email me the number?

I need my whole central locking/alarm crap checked out.

T.

[T0nyGTSt]

Does he install EL kits as well?

T.

[hippy]

just the other day my passenger side central lockin stopped working ... at first it was just acting up .. then now its stuffed ... i think it maybe just a loose connection or a relay is screwed ...

[JimX]

Hippy does it work from the driver's door switch? Mine was working fine from that but nothing else, ie, not the alarm or the actual driver's door lock (which is meant to control all others for locking/unlocking). Really odd because I thought it was on the same circuit as the extra switch but apparently not.

While the guy was looking at it, it got into some weird-arsed half working mode where I could lock/unlock it once, but then it wouldn't respond for several minutes. I'm not sure if it was just time elapsed that let it work again or arming/unarming of the alarm or switching the ignition off/on. But now it's all good.

[hippy]

nah the drivers door works fine ... works as usual ... now the passengers has just stopped working so i have to manually lock and unlock it ... annoying ... but will look at it when i have some time ...